


And If You Can't Remember A Better Time

by JolinarJackson



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, Explicit Language, Gen, Implied/Referenced Fear Conditioning, Implied/Referenced Human Trafficking, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-27 09:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30120363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolinarJackson/pseuds/JolinarJackson
Summary: After Ultron, Tony decided to hang up the suit and retire from Iron Man for good. His quiet life with Pepper is disrupted, however, when the remaining Avengers rescue a kid from a mutant trafficking ring. Clearly traumatized and lacking any kind of significant memory about his past, the kid is a riddle. A riddle the DODC seems a little too interested in. A riddle that Tony is determined to solve, getting attached against his better judgment.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Sam Wilson, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 66
Kudos: 134
Collections: Irondad Big Bang 2021





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art by Shoyzz-Art](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/778653) by Shoyzz-Art. 



> Author's Note: Written for the [IronDad Big Bang 2021](https://irondadbigbang.tumblr.com/), which was a blast as always. I had so much fun writing this. It was an old idea that I wanted to do something about for ages and now I finally could! I want to thank [Shoyzz-Art](https://shoyzz-art.tumblr.com/) for the amazing art pieces she created for this story. Also a massive thank you to [tjc2009-2018](https://tjc2009-2018.tumblr.com/) for listening to me agonizing over the plot several times and [mogoona3000](https://mogoona3000.tumblr.com/) for beta reading. You guys are the best! 
> 
> **Updates will be Thursdays and Mondays**

It had been a long time since Tony had entered the workshop in the Tower.

It had been a long time since he’d entered _any_ workshop.

And the only reason he was here tonight was because it was necessary.

It was late already, and the bright fluorescent lights were a sharp contrast to the soft lighting that the kitchen had provided. Tony had to admit that the sight of his workshop woke a longing in him that he thought he’d lost somewhere along the way. He used to feel it all the time when he came here and worked, crafting suits and equipment for the team. He’d lost it somewhere along the way, passion turning into necessity, ideas designed to help turning into technology overstepping its boundaries.

The world had never quite learned all the details behind Ultron’s existence. That the villain the Avengers had fought just over a year ago had been Tony’s creation.

But Tony knew and that was enough for him to re-evaluate his recent choices, to close the door to the workshop and not return … until tonight.

He set the glass of wine down, loosened his tie, and stepped further inside, passing a couple of workbenches. Dust had collected on the tools and equipment laid out, the transparent double-screens installed on every workbench showing an idly twisting Avengers logo. Old formulas and barely remembered notes were scrawled on the whiteboards attached to the walls. The window front, usually giving a view of the open-space living area below, was opaque, cutting the room and Tony off from the rest of the penthouse. When he looked down, the transparent floor showed him the armory, as brightly illuminated as the workshop itself.

Tony used the narrow winding stairs in the corner of the workshop to head down and paused there, at the bottom, looking at the Iron Man suits in their display cases, waiting for their cue, his eyes brushing quickly over the team’s names on the various drawers set into the wall.

“Tony?”

He startled out of his thoughts, turning around to Pepper, who was standing half-way down the staircase. She was still dressed in the elegant, white pantsuit she’d donned for work this morning, her hair tied back into a neat ponytail. But she’d taken off her high heels, her feet bare against the steps.

She looked around the armory in confusion, as if she was trying to figure out whether anything was amiss, and then turned back to him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he answered.

Pepper came further down the staircase slowly. “How was your meeting?”

He ducked his head, wishing he’d taken his wine with him.

“That bad?”

Tony heaved a breath and cleared his throat, focusing on one of his older suit models in its display case. “I think it’s time we sell the tower.”

He felt Pepper’s hand on his arm. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve been playing around with the idea of building new headquarters for SI somewhere else, make the whole building green. Zero emissions, zero waste.”

“What about the Avengers?”

“They’re at the Compound full-time. No need for headquarters in the city anymore. The Compound has all they need.”

Pepper sounded skeptical. “I thought you didn’t like the idea of sharing the space with the DODC.”

Tony shrugged. “I talked it over with Steve and he doesn’t mind. The DODC has asked the Avengers to provide training for new recruits and it’s … it’s a great way to collaborate. Mend fences, build bridges, all that jazz.” He sniffed and tucked his hands into the pockets of his suit. “Besides, the Avengers will need the DODC research labs at the Compound for repairs and improvements to their equipment.”

“Where will you be?” Pepper asked.

Tony turned around to her. “We talked about this.”

Pepper pressed her lips together and took another step down, leaning into him a bit. “What happened at the meeting today?”

He huffed a laugh. “This has nothing to do with the meeting.”

“What happened?”

Tony pulled his shoulders up and closed his eyes. “The UN got back to us regarding the Sokovia Accords. They’re not in favor of giving the Avengers the free reign they were hoping for,” he said. He hadn’t really been that surprised. Ever since Steve had called a few months ago, telling him that Secretary Ross had confronted the Avengers with an agreement about how their actions should be controlled by the UN moving forward, he’d known deep down that there wouldn’t be much wriggle-room for them. Ross was nothing if not thorough. However, Tony had agreed to become the spokesperson for the Avengers and assembled a legal team. They’d spent months reviewing the Accords and making alternative proposals that would leave the Avengers with more control over their own missions and actions while still giving the UN more insight into their activities. The review meeting had been held in the UN’s headquarters in New York today. Tony still wasn’t sure how to tell Steve about the result. “Sokovia is too big a thing to ignore. It doesn’t matter that I took responsibility for it and told them that I left the team. They want the Avengers on a leash and the only thing we can negotiate about is what color that leash will have.”

Pepper frowned. “The Sokovia Accords-”

“Ross wants them ratified in autumn at the latest,” Tony answered. “We have four months to hand in a final review and two more to come to an agreement with the UN.” He shook his head. “At least we get a say,” he added. “As I understood today, they’re planning to crack down hard on neighborhood vigilantes as well and there was even talk about some kind of enhancement registry.”

Shaking her head, Pepper said, “But we have no idea how many enhanced humans are living among us.”

“Their point exactly. I think they’re scared. That’s what happens when a mutation enters the world stage. The species who came before often see their livelihood threatened.”

“What are you going to do?”

“What _can_ I do?” Tony asked. “This shouldn’t be happening at all. Sokovia shouldn’t have happened.”

Pepper wound her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for that.”

“There’s nobody else to blame. Ultron _was_ my creation.”

She sighed. “But are you sure you want to quit being Iron Man over it?”

Tony closed his eyes. “All he does is damage people.”

“He also saved people.” She kissed the bridge of his nose. “He saved me, so I think he’s pretty great.” He met her eyes reluctantly and she smiled sadly. “He just needs to be reminded every now and then.”

* * *

The call came in the early hours of the next morning.

Sleep was not necessarily easier to achieve for him these days. Tony’s mind still went on wild tangents, straying to Avengers equipment or his own suits every now and again, but he learned to channel that energy into something else. Something more productive, like the new SI headquarters. He’d done research into renewable energy and eco-friendly waste processing and green architecture, determined to get the first draft of the building done himself before handing it over to an architect.

He’d been thinking about his legacy a lot recently and he wanted it to mean something.

Pepper was sleeping beside him, the moonlight shining through the gap in the curtains brushing her cheeks and hair gently. Tony was sitting up, supported by several pillows in his back, and had dimmed the screen of his tablet as much as possible to avoid waking her.

He was just thinking about adding a rooftop garden when his phone vibrated against the nightstand.

Frowning, he turned his head to look at it, knowing there were only very few people who would call him at this time and for even fewer reasons. Steve’s name was displayed on the screen. Tony put the tablet down and grabbed the phone, picking up to murmur “Hold on a sec” before he left the room as quietly as possible.

The lights in the hallway slowly came to life while he closed the door to the bedroom. On his way to the kitchen, he asked, “Steve, what’s wrong?”

_“Sorry for calling so late,”_ Steve said. _“Or early, really.”_ He sounded wide-awake, maybe even a little strained.

“I was awake,” Tony replied, grabbing a glass from the cupboard to pour himself a glass of juice. “What’s so important?”

_“There was an incident with the DODC,”_ Steve answered. _“We might need your legal team.”_

Tony frowned. “Define ‘incident’.”

_“There’s a disagreement about a mission’s outcome,”_ Steve said. _“The DODC asked us for assistance which we provided. Now they believe that we stole an asset they wanted to see in their hands.”_

Raising one eyebrow, Tony asked, “Are they _claiming_ that’s what happened or _did_ that actually happen?”

Steve hesitated. _“Depends on your definition of ‘stealing’. And ‘asset’.”_

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. The interim agreement the Avengers had with the UN for the duration of the Sokovia Accord negotiations was tenuous at best. They were allowed to do their own missions, but they were also on stand-by for the DODC in case it was needed.

The collaboration with the DODC was complicated, though. More complicated than the one the Avengers had had with SHIELD.

“I’m gonna need more details,” Tony said.

Steve hesitated. Tony heard him sigh deeply, then he replied, _“I’d appreciate it if you’d come. It’s difficult to explain over the phone and I think we might need you here. You are better at all that political talk than we are.”_

Tony knew Steve wouldn’t ask if he really didn’t think it was necessary. And if there was trouble between the Avengers and the DODC brewing, he would at some point have to get involved anyway. “Fine. I’m on my way.”

* * *

Rush hour was still hours away, so Tony made it onto the I-80 pretty quickly. He kept the heater on low, not liking it when it got too hot in the car, and had just started to relax into driving for the next two hours or so when his phone rang again.

Ross’s name on the screen made Tony groan. He’d expected him to call at some point but had been hoping that he would at least be able to get a grip of the situation before it happened.

He used the button on his steering wheel to pick up with a deep sigh. “Secretary Ross, what can I do for you this early in the morning?”

Ross sounded as wide-awake as Steve had, his tone sharp and to the point as usual. _“You can try and get your team under control.”_

Tony shook his head. “First of all, they’re not my team. Second of all, every single individual on the Avengers is _not_ controllable. You should know that by now.”

_“I take it you have heard what happened.”_

“I’m on my way to the Compound,” Tony answered. “I have no details, though.”

He heard the clinking of glass and wondered whether Ross had poured himself something stronger than juice. _“The team claimed an asset that wasn’t theirs to claim.”_

Tony grimaced. “I’m sure they had their reasons.”

_“The mission was the result of a meticulous undercover operation featuring some of the DODC’s best agents. Your team joined as support. They have no right to ruin all the hard work-”_

“Tell me what exactly the issue is,” Tony answered. “Because I’m only getting bits and pieces and I won’t be able to do anything with those.”

Ross huffed a breath. _“Your team joined an extraction mission, which was aimed at a mutant trafficking ring.”_

“Mutant trafficking?” Tony asked with a frown. “That’s happening?”

_“More often than you would think,”_ Ross answered and he sounded tired. _“The DODC has been cracking down on these kinds of operations recently, making use of undercover agents. We are suspecting that individuals loyal to the few remaining HYDRA cells out there are overseeing the whole thing.”_

Tony pressed his lips together. “I can’t imagine Steve would want to interfere with that kind of operation.”

_“Well, they did. And I trust you to fix it.”_ With that, he hung up.

* * *

The guard at the Avengers Compound gate nodded at Tony while he drove in. In the side mirror, Tony could see him reach for his walkie-talkie as soon as he had passed.

“I guess they were waiting for me,” he murmured. “What’s making you so nervous?”

It was still dark out while he drove towards the back of the property, where the private quarters of the Avengers were located. A bit of snow was powdering the neatly trimmed grass along the roads and paths of the Compound, and the surrounding woods shimmered white in the glare of Tony’s headlights. Some of the windows of the buildings the DODC was using were already lit, though, and he saw a couple of agents out on an early morning run.

Tony parked in the underground garage and took the stairs up into the communal area on the ground floor of the building. He found Rhodey, Nat and Sam in the kitchen. Rhodey was reading the newspaper while Sam and Nat were preparing breakfast. All of them were dressed in jeans and casual sweaters, as if they were planning a lazy day in.

He cleared his throat, catching their attention.

Rhodey looked up at him with a smile. “Hey.”

“No,” Tony answered, pointing at him. “No, you don’t get a ‘hey’. Nobody gets a ‘hey’ until I know what the hell you did that made Ross call me in the middle of the night like a babysitter begging for the parents to come home early.”

Sam rolled his eyes while he stirred what looked like at least twenty eggs into the pan. “I can’t believe they called Ross.”

Nat bit into a piece of bacon. “I can’t believe Ross called Tony.” She winked at him.

Tony let out an exasperated sigh. “What the hell is going on?”

Rhodey got up from his seat. “I’ll show you,” he said and waved for Tony to follow him. “Nat and Steve were called in for an extraction mission by the DODC yesterday. They said they had uncovered a mutant trafficking ring and wanted to bust one of the locations.”

“I know that,” Tony answered. “I don’t need the background just now. Just tell me what you took that has the DODC’s panties in a big enough twist that they call on Ross.” He frowned when Rhodey led him up the stairs towards the guest quarters. “They’re talking about you guys stealing an asset. You’re aware that you’re walking on very thin ice there, right?”

“Did they tell you what kind of asset?” Rhodey asked, stopping in front of a room. Tony looked inside and saw Steve leaning back against the desk placed in front of the panorama window front, his face pulled into a thoughtful frown. The dark-blue curtains were drawn and the only light was coming from the desk lamp and one of the bedside table lamps.

On the bed, covered by the duvet and seemingly asleep, Tony found a kid.

It was a teenage boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. His dark hair was greasy, dirt smeared on the skin of his forehead, cheeks and chin. His face looked gaunt as if he hadn’t eaten in a while and his lips were dry and cracked.

Tony looked at Rhodey. “The asset is a kid?”

Rhodey crossed his arms and nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve joined them just outside the door to the guest room. “Tony,” he said, looking relieved. “Thanks for coming.”

Tony shook his head and crossed his arms, his eyes going back to the sleeping kid. “I need you to tell me what is going on here. Because I thought you guys maybe mistakenly pocketed a piece of tech. This,” he nodded at the kid, “seems like kidnapping.”

Steve moved to lead them down the corridor a bit, away from the guest room.

Tony followed him, asking, “Why is the kid not with the DODC?”

Steve pressed his lips together and crossed his arms as well. A bruise had formed on his chin, the skin cut just slightly. “The kid didn’t want to go with them.”

Frowning, Tony asked, “So he wanted to go with _you_?”

“He didn’t want to go with anyone,” Nat answered from behind them and stepped closer. “We found him in a cage, the walls were electrified and he wore a shock bracelet. He could barely stand upright, didn’t even wear shoes.” She swallowed. “When the DODC tried to get him out, he attacked.”

“That’s what they’re saying,” Steve replied.

“It’s likely that he was just trying to get away,” Nat added. “And the DODC overreacted.”

“They tasered him,” Steve clarified. “Whatever the kid did, they didn’t handle the situation correctly. He was probably just scared.”

Tony shook his head. “We’re talking about some of the best agents in the country here and you’re telling me they couldn’t handle a kid? He’s a scrawny little thing.”

Rhodey cleared his throat. “Don’t forget that he’s enhanced.”

Steve nodded. “The taser didn’t work immediately. Nat and I tried to get the situation under control. I tried to get a grip on the kid and he managed to punch me hard enough to knock me to the floor.”

Tony stared at him. “You’re a super soldier,” he said. “Are you telling me he’s stronger than you?”

Steve heaved a deep sigh. “He might be.”

Nat’s expression was grim as she said, “They tasered him again to get him off Steve. It worked better that time. We got him out of the building.”

“But they were going to put him into a cell and restrain him,” Steve continued. “I don’t doubt that they weren’t intending to harm him but we couldn’t let that happen. The kid is traumatized, he doesn’t need more restraints. If they can’t handle him, we will.”

“Well, you can’t either,” Tony said. “He knocked you off your feet.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m not saying they’re right,” he said, “but they’re trying to contain a kid who is quite possibly dangerous. He gave you a bruise. If he hits a regular person with that amount of strength, he could kill them.”

“He’s not dangerous,” Steve snapped. “He’s traumatized.”

“In their books, that’s the same thing,” Tony replied.

Steve ducked his head, his shoulders drooping. “Look,” Steve said, “he’s still at the Compound, he’s still within their reach.”

“They don’t see it that way. And everything we’ve worked for the last couple of months, everything we want to achieve in regards to the Accords, could be jeopardized by this.”

“I _couldn’t_ , Tony,” Steve said, staring at him earnestly. “I couldn’t let them take him. Can’t we work something out?”

Tony brushed a hand through his hair, sighing tiredly. “Ross is already involved,” he said. “So whatever we _do_ figure out, we better do it fast.”

Steve’s face relaxed a little and he breathed a sigh of relief. “It _has_ to be possible,” Steve said. “I mean, he is not roaming around freely. He’s under control.”

Tony turned away from them, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. He was scrolling through his contacts on his phone to the name of the head of the lawyer team he’d hired to straighten the Sokovia Accord situation out. He wondered whether she was already awake. She seemed like the kind to take a five o’clock in the morning run in Central Park.

_“I would like to inform you,”_ FRIDAY said into the silence, her artificial voice as friendly and jovial as ever, _“that an unidentified individual just entered the building’s ventilation shaft system which could not only mean a hazard for said individual but also for the functionality of-”_

“What?!” Tony interrupted her. He pushed past Steve to hurry back towards the guest room.

The kid was gone.

“What the hell, Fri, why didn’t you tell us he’s up?”

_“Was I required to do so?”_ she asked pointedly.

Sometimes, Tony hated AIs, even his own creations. “Lock down everything,” he said. “He can’t get out of the building, understood?”

_“Yes, boss.”_

“And track him. As soon as he stops or leaves the shafts, let me know.” He looked back at Steve. “You jinxed it,” he said before he entered the guest room, looking around for clues. The bed was rumpled, but other than that, there was no trace of the kid left behind. Tony looked at the large panorama window taking up the majority of one wall and frowned. “He didn’t use the window to get out,” he said, turning around to find the others in the door, “which would have been the obvious choice.”

Nat stopped next to him. “Yeah, but the window is facing the DODC buildings. He might have been worried to be seen by them.”

Steve nodded. “He’s looking for a less obvious way out.”

Tony hummed thoughtfully. “He will have to come out somewhere or at least have to stop at some point. Lockdown includes the outer access panels of the ventilation shafts so he won’t be able to leave the building.”

Rhodey raised his eyebrows. “He’s enhanced. He can probably punch through any reinforcement.”

“Ye of little faith,” Tony replied with a smirk. “The Compound was built with enhanced abilities in mind. He won’t get out.”

“So,” Rhodey said, “we just wait?”

“Yeah,” Tony replied, looking towards the closed hatch embedded into the ceiling that led into the ventilation shafts. He wondered how the kid had got up there. “We just wait.”

* * *

They had breakfast together, Tony trying to get rid of his weariness by drinking three cups of coffee. He used the opportunity to update the others on the Accords, filling them in on the result of yesterday’s meeting. Admitting that they would probably have no other choice but to go along with the Accords hurt, but they were running out of options.

When he was done, it was quiet for a long moment.

Steve was staring at the marble countertop of the kitchen island while he seemed lost in thought. Nat busied herself with her phone, probably texting Clint who had chosen to stay with his family for the duration of the negotiations. Rhodey sat leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face.

Sam pushed his empty plate away. “So that’s it then?” he asked. “We don’t get a choice of the missions we’re going on, every piece of equipment we use has to be sanctioned, we are at the DODC’s and the UN’s disposal whenever they want to use us?” He looked at Tony, his eyes narrowed angrily. “How long do you think it’ll take them to decide we should be involved in wars? How long until they think we should beat down on citizens protesting against some government the UN is backing?”

“I don’t agree with them,” Tony said. “My lawyers are looking into some more options but they don’t think we will have much of a choice. There is no precedent case for this. We _are_ the precedent.”

“So they want to make sure it makes it easier for them in the future in case another group of people like us comes along,” Sam said, crossing his arms.

Steve heaved a sigh. “Wanda and Vision won’t return under these circumstances. Clint won’t like it, he’s already talking about retirement. And wherever Bruce and Thor are right now-”

“They’re the biggest threats in our group,” Rhodey interrupted him. “In the eyes of the UN. It’s better if they stay away.”

Steve shook his head. “This pretty much destroys the Avengers as they are.”

“What’s the alternative?” Nat asked. “Go underground?”

“Wouldn’t that make us criminals?” Rhodey asked.

_“Boss,”_ FRIDAY said gently. _“He has just left the ventilation system and is now located in the workshop.”_

They exchanged a look.

Nat grimaced. “That’s probably the last place we want him to be.”

Tony shook his head. “Everything’s switched off down there. There’s no immediate issue.” He slid off his chair with a tired sigh. “I’ll go check it out.”

“I’ll come with you,” Sam said.

Tony tapped his watch and pulled the miniature gauntlet over his hand. It was the only piece of Iron Man technology he still carried. It was good to have it in case of an emergency. Or – in this case – just to be on the safe side. He nodded at Sam. “Just you, though. We don’t want to freak him out.”

The workshop was located on the same level as the garage. Taking the nearest set of stairs led Tony and Sam into a small anteroom. Through the glass walls, Tony could see that the lights had flickered on, the motion sensors probably going off as soon as the kid had left the ventilation shaft. Tony and Sam looked inside the room, trying to find the kid. Tony thought he saw something move between the workbenches at the far end and tensed, nodding towards it …

“You see him?” Sam asked.

“I think so.” He pulled a pair of glasses from the breast pocket of his suit jacket and put them on, then he looked at Sam before placing his hand against the scanner next to the door. The scanner lit up green and the door opened with a click.

The workshop at the Compound was just as abandoned as the one at the Tower. Even worse … it had never really seen proper use as Tony was still spending most of his time at the Tower by the time the Compound was finalized. Some of his equipment and projects had been sent over in the meantime, though, and the wooden crates had been distributed throughout the room, stacked together near walls and corners. Some of his suits had also been transported over and were standing around the room as if they were guarding it. Sheets covered the workbenches and screens, the whiteboards installed on the walls were new and empty, the small kitchenette in the corner clean and unused, as were the tools in the gleaming steel cabinets lining one wall. A layer of dust covered everything.

The hatch leading up into the ventilation shafts running along the high ceiling was hanging open, still swinging slightly.

It was quiet.

Tony stepped forward and tapped the side of his glasses.

“Fri?” he murmured.

She didn’t answer verbally, instead activating the heat scan on the glasses. Tony was surrounded by cool blues and greens, some light yellows where machines were running in stand-by mode. A red blob of color was located at the very back of the room where he’d seen movement before.

“Gotcha,” Tony whispered. He deactivated the heat scan and moved slowly towards the kid.

He found him in a dark corner, protected from view by some wooden crates that had been stacked around and onto two unplugged workbenches shoved up against the wall. A gap just big enough for an adult to crawl through led into the kid’s hiding spot, which was the darkened, empty space underneath the workbenches. Tony and Sam crouched a few steps away from the gap. They couldn’t see the kid, it was too dark, but Tony was pretty sure he heard him move backwards, away from the gap and them.

Sam cleared his throat. “Hey there,” he said. “I’m Sam, this is Tony.”

There was no answer and no movement.

Sam glanced at Tony before he turned back towards the kid. “Do you want to tell us your name?”

There was still no answer.

Tony pressed his lips together.

“That’s fine,” Sam said. “We’re going to leave you for a bit, let you get settled.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “Settled?” he asked. “This is my workshop.”

“Which you don’t use at the moment,” Sam answered, raising an eyebrow.

“Which contains sensitive information and technology. I’m not sure he should be here longer than necessary.”

“And we have an AI who can tell us in case the kid decides to go digging.”

Tony rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Fine.”

“See you later, kid,” Sam said and rose to his feet.

Tony moved to follow him but stopped himself. Instead, he walked towards the small bathroom that was tucked away nearby and opened the door. Crouching back down near the kid’s hiding place, he said, “There’s a toilet in there.” He vaguely motioned towards the bathroom. “You know, just in case.” He cracked a short smile and got up, leaving the workshop with Sam in tow.

* * *

“So what are we going to do now? Leave him down there?” Rhodey asked, looking up from his laptop. He’d settled down at the big dining table to answer some emails, preferring to work in the communal area over the quiet of his own quarters.

“For now,” Sam answered, scrambling eggs into a pan and popping two slices of bread into the toaster. “I’m going to bring him some breakfast, see whether he’ll take it.”

“He won’t,” Nat said from where she was stretched out on the couch in the adjacent lounge area, flipping through a magazine. It was weird to see her doing such mundane things, sometimes. She always seemed so in control of everything she said and did, it was almost jarring to see her sitting on the couch with thick fuzzy socks on her feet, a cup of tea cooling on the coffee table and a gossip magazine in her hands.

“Well, it can’t hurt to try,” Sam replied.

Steve was fiddling with the tv’s remote control, looking decidedly less relaxed than Nat. “We should probably try to find out who he is.”

Tony nodded. “Way ahead of you. FRIDAY, you got a record of the kid’s face from when he was brought into this building, right?”

_“The mandatory face scan was concluded, yes,”_ she cheerfully confirmed.

“Be a sweetheart and look up missing person records for kids in America that match his scan. Go back two years from now.”

_“In progress.”_

Steve frowned. “You think that’s going to get us somewhere?”

“If he was trafficked,” Nat said, flipping the page, “he went missing.”

“We don’t even know if he’s American,” Steve replied.

“We can widen the search if FRIDAY doesn’t find him,” Tony replied, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “But you’re right. We have to find out who he is. The sooner, the better. We can’t keep the kid forever, he has to go somewhere. If there’s a family, even better.”

“And if not?” Rhodey asked, his eyebrows raised.

“If not, he becomes a ward of the state,” Tony replied.

Steve pressed his lips together.

Nat shot him a look. “Someone out there _must_ miss the kid. Tony’s right. We got him out of trouble, but our responsibility ends somewhere.”

“He’s probably traumatized to hell.”

Tony sipped on his coffee. “The Stark Relief Foundation can pick up the resulting bills, if the DODC won’t do it.”

“Not really my point,” Steve said. “He’s enhanced.”

“Steve, what do you want us to do?” Tony asked. “He’s a _kid_. He belongs to someone. He needs to go home or he needs to go into the system and _find_ a home. You know, a nurturing environment, a mom to hug him goodnight and a dad to play catch with.”

_“Boss,”_ FRIDAY said, _“I can’t find any matching records in the system.”_

Tony sighed. “Do a worldwide search, prioritize by proximity.”

Steve switched off the tv. “I’m just saying that he is not your typical kid. He’s enhanced. Does his family know? Does anyone aside from us and the DODC? And if they don’t, what do we do?”

“It’s none of our business,” Tony said. “The DODC will handle it.”

“You want to hand him over to them?” His eyes widened in realization. “You agree with Ross? You think we shouldn’t have taken him?”

Tony stared at him for a long moment, taking a breath to remain calm. “I’m not talking about whether you should have or shouldn’t have taken him. This isn’t about the extraction mission, this is about what happens next. And they are better equipped to handle this sort of thing-“

“I don’t _want_ them to handle it.”

“Steve,” Tony said sharply, “I get your point, I do. But we are losing the Accords negotiations and we can’t risk a fall-out.” He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. A tension headache was starting to form behind his forehead. “Listen, I get what you mean. I will address the methods the DODC used to extract the kid with Ross.”

Steve pressed his lips together. Tony sagged into a chair at the dining table. He watched Sam pile the eggs and toast onto a plate and grab a bottle of water from the fridge and a fork before heading downstairs.

Absentmindedly, he pulled up the workshop’s security feed on his phone, watching Sam enter carefully and set the food down within easy reach of the kid’s hiding place. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think the DODC wants to hurt the kid.” He looked at Steve when he didn’t answer and saw him deep in thought, a frown on his face. “Do _you_?”

“He’s enhanced,” Steve said. “Would they have reacted the same way if he wasn’t?”

“No, because they could have taken him down easily if he wasn’t.” Tony’s eyes widened when he realized something. “This is about SHIELD, isn’t it?”

“It happened once,” Steve said. “HYDRA hid in plain sight for decades. Who says it can’t happen again? Who guarantees that we caught all of them? That some of them aren’t working for the DODC? They were interested in enhanced humans, conducted experiments on them.”

Tony nodded. “I get that, I do. Let’s see that we keep an eye on the kid once we hand him over.” He looked down at the screen of his phone, seeing that the plate and water bottle were still where Sam had left them. “But we’ll have to.”

Steve sighed and brushed a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I know.”

Sam entered the kitchen area.

“He hasn’t touched it,” Tony said.

Sam nodded. “Well, he might need a little more time.”

“Yeah,” Tony replied. “Let’s hope that’s all he needs.”


	3. Chapter 3

Exhaustion was pulling at Tony relentlessly and he went to his personal quarters to take a nap. However, his mind wouldn’t let him get any rest.

He couldn’t get Steve’s words out of his head.

The DODC didn’t have ties to SHIELD any longer, having been taken over by Tony and the government in the wake of the Battle of New York, but they had been affiliated with them at one time. It wasn’t unreasonable to suspect that some staff members could be HYDRA sleepers. Tony grimaced, thinking that it wasn’t unreasonable to suspect that _any_ governmental agency could have been infiltrated, whether they had a connection to SHIELD or not. There was no doubt in his mind that some part of HYDRA was still active somewhere, regaining strength. The organization was just too big to find all of them. And if there were sleepers who hadn’t been discovered yet, keeping them in their positions within the government and its many branches was only logical.

Tony _wanted_ to be able to trust that the DODC had only the kid’s best interest in mind. And yet, a small part of him wondered whether he _could_.

He sighed deeply and gave up on sleep. Having an idea, he grabbed his tablet from the nightstand and went into the kitchen. None of the others were currently around, so Tony made himself a coffee and settled into a seat at the kitchen island with his tablet.

Getting into the DODC’s system wasn’t an issue. The Avengers had restricted access and Tony had a little more than that.

When he looked up the file for the mission, he found that a report had already been finalized by a Kristin Wood, probably the agent in charge of the operation. Tony clicked on the link to her file and skimmed over it.

Wood was thirty-four, married and was listed as a team lead within the Organized Crime Division. She was smiling in her profile picture, but there was an earnest set to her jaw and a steely determination in her green eyes.

Tony went back to the mission report. He didn’t open the written statement for now, instead opening the file containing pictures that had been taken in the aftermath of the extraction.

The bunker they’d found the kid in was located near the Hemlock Reservoir, about an hour by car from Manhattan. The pictures showed it to be a mossy, dimly-lit and dreadful place. He flipped through pictures of a room containing a table with some laptops and what seemed to be an improvised kitchen and then a couple of smaller rooms with bunk beds and personal belongings strewn about, the description identifying the rooms as the ones the traffickers used to sleep in. There were two pictures of a small room that just contained a tripod and a white backdrop. Tony grimaced at the thought of victims being forced to have pictures or videos of them taken to show to potential buyers.

The last few pictures were of a bigger room that had five cages set up in it. The cages were just big enough for an adult to sit upright comfortably and consisted of four walls and a roof. They were bolted into the cement floor and attached to a generator in the corner. Tony remembered Steve mentioning that the cage had been electrified. The set-up served probably more as a protection for the traffickers than a way to torture the prisoners. Enhanced humans weren’t easy to contain, but electricity would cause enough pain to at least slow them down. Which was probably also the reason that the traffickers had put a shock bracelet on the kid. All of the cages were open, but only one contained a metal bowl with what appeared to be scrambled eggs and some bread as well as a cup of water. It seemed like the kid had been the only prisoner at the time of the extraction. The last picture showed a table, handcuffs and stun guns scattered on the top.

Tony wondered how long the kid had been imprisoned in that room, in that tiny cage, at the mercy of the traffickers. It was no surprise that he was traumatized and didn’t trust them.

He opened the folder that contained the videos the DODC’s body cams had recorded during the operation. He went for Kristin Wood’s camera first, assuming that she would be in the middle of the action. He fast-forwarded through the beginning, watching the DODC arrest the traffickers quickly and efficiently with the help of Steve and Nat. He stopped the fast-forward when Wood entered the room the kid was kept in.

_“Get the generator,” she said and he saw an agent hurry past her to switch it off. As she approached the cage, the kid scrambled back as far as he could without touching the cage walls, his breath coming in panicked little bursts, the cold air in the bunker causing condensation. He was wearing nothing but a dirty set of blue sweatpants and a long-sleeved, thin shirt in the same color, and no shoes or even socks. Wood reached out a hand in a calming gesture. “It’s alright,” she said, crouching down. “You’re okay, kid. We’ve got you now.”_

_A voice behind her spoke up. “Agent Wood, Avengers incoming.”_

_“Tell them we’ve got it under control and to secure the perimeter. You know what we’re here for, I don’t want them getting in the way.” Another agent stopped by the cage to cut through the padlock keeping it closed. Wood opened the door carefully, her voice turning gentle when she spoke to the kid. “Come on, then.” She reached inside the cage to try and coax him closer, but the kid kicked her in the chest, sending her flying back into the opposite wall._

_“Holy shit,” one of the other agents exclaimed. The footage was wobbly and unclear, Wood’s hand covering part of the camera as she tried to regain her breath, clearly winded. Tony heard fast steps and metal clanging, the kid screamed and an agent yelled, “Get him down from there!”_

_Tony heard a pained shout and the sound of something hitting the floor, then only the sounds of Wood gasping for air and the kid whimpering could be heard._

_Heavy footsteps arrived next and Steve’s voice asked, “What are you doing?”_

The video cut off as the camera died.

Tony frowned, looking through the list of files to find one that would show him what exactly had gone down. He found one by the agent that waited at the door while Wood approached the kid and forwarded to the moment the kid attacked Wood.

_The agent turned away from the situation and Tony saw his camera catching Steve and Nat coming down the corridor. The agent raised a hand to keep them back. “Sir, Ma’am, the situation is under control.”_

_“It doesn’t sound under control,” Nat said._

Tony fast-forwarded through Steve pushing past the agent into the room, through him picking a barely conscious kid up and leaving, the camera feed following Wood and the two Avengers outside. It was dark, but several floodlights had been set up, so it was easy to see the DODC cars and vans and the agents keeping an eye on the surrounding forest.

_Steve was carrying the kid towards the Quinjet parked off to the side, Nat and Wood following him closely. The agent whose feed was recording everything stopped a few feet away from them, but still close enough to catch their words._

_Wood was saying, “You can’t be serious, this is a DODC operation.”_

_Steve stopped and turned around to her. The kid was unconscious, looking tiny against his broad frame. “You just said that you’re going to restrain him in a cell.”_

_“He’s not going to be chained to a wall, Captain. We are well aware that he’s the victim in this situation, but he is enhanced and confused and potentially dangerous.”_

_“If you can’t handle it, we will,” Steve answered._

_Steve and Nat boarded the Quinjet, while Wood returned back to the other DODC agents, her face set in stone, one hand pressing her phone against her ear. “We almost had him, sir.”_

The camera switched off.

“Find anything interesting?” Steve asked.

Tony looked up at him, a little startled. “Thought you were getting some sleep after last night’s mission.”

“Thought you were doing the same.”

Tony shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Steve leaned against the kitchen island opposite Tony, starting to cut up an apple.

Tony closed the DODC file and set his tablet aside. “I think,” he said slowly, “you’re right. I looked at the mission report. Something’s off.” He tapped the surface of the island thoughtfully. “The kid _did_ attack them by the way. They couldn’t handle him so they tasered him.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

Tony shrugged. “I didn’t say that.”

“Why do you think something’s off?” Steve asked.

Tony shrugged. “Just some things they were saying. I’m not saying they had bad intentions, just seems a bit odd.”

_“You know what we’re here for, I don’t want them getting in the way.”_

_“We almost had him, sir.”_

He used the tablet to call up the feed of his workshop. The food was still sitting on the ground, untouched. The bottle of water next to it. Tony hummed thoughtfully.

“What is it?” Steve asked.

“They gave the kid scrambled eggs in that place.”

“You think he’s associating the scrambled eggs Sam gave him with that place?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tony answered. He grabbed an apple from the bowl and went to the fridge to get a bottle of water out, then he made his way down to the workshop. He took his time opening the door and closing it after he’d entered, making sure that the kid heard him. Slowly, he approached the kid’s hiding place and crouched down to look inside. It was still too dark to make out anything, but he assumed that the kid was awake. “I think I get why you won’t take the eggs, so I got you an apple and more water,” he said. A thought occurred to him and he asked, “Did they drug your food?”

There was no answer.

Tony chose to take it as a confirmation. “What we give is not drugged, promise.” He set the apple down and then shook the bottle of water to mix the liquid up before opening it and taking a few demonstrative sips. He put the lid back on and set the bottle down next to the apple. “You should at the very least have something to drink.”

There was no reaction from the kid.

Tony waited for ten more minutes but nothing even moved in the dark of the kid’s hide-out. With a sigh, he got to his feet and left, taking the plate of scrambled eggs with him.

* * *

_“Poor kid,”_ Pepper said.

Tony nodded, pressing the phone to his ear with one hand while the other was crossed over his chest. “Yeah.” He was looking out the window of his private quarters, watching the snow fall. It was mid-morning and the sun was a washed-out bright spot peeking from in-between the snow clouds, its rays weak.

_“So are you going to stay at the Compound for longer?”_

He sighed deeply. “I don’t know. I probably should stay at least until things with the DODC have been dealt with. Maybe I can head home tonight.”

She hummed. _“What about the kid?”_

“What about him?”

_“Don’t you want to sort that out as well?”_

He shook his head and turned away from the window, settling into the desk chair. “I don’t think that’s any of my business, Pepper. I will make sure that we find common ground with the DODC and hand him over. They can handle the rest.”

_“Okay,”_ she said, but she didn’t sound like she believed him entirely. _“If you want to stay longer, though, it wouldn’t be an issue.”_

Tony used his tablet to log into the video feed of the workshop, waiting for it to load. “The kid’s traumatized. The sooner we hand him over to the experts, the better. They have therapists that can take a look at him and he needs a medical check-up anyway.” He wanted to say more but something on the video feed caught his eye and he paused in surprise.

_“Sure,”_ Pepper replied, still not sounding convinced. _“Oh! Tony, I have a meeting. Talk to you later?”_

“Yeah,” he answered distractedly, still staring at the place where the water bottles and the apple had sat when he’d left the workshop. The apple was still sitting on the floor, undisturbed … but the water was gone.

* * *

Tony entered the workshop with another water bottle and apple, as well as some energy bars. As he approached the kid’s hiding place, he noticed that the lights in the small bathroom were switched on and he could hear water running.

He paused, concerned that the kid might not have heard him enter and might freak out if he got caught by Tony outside of his little safe space.

But the water kept running and there were no other sounds.

Slowly, Tony walked forward until he could look into the bathroom from a distance. It was empty, but the sink’s tap was on and now he noticed droplets of water leading out of the bathroom and towards the kid’s hiding place.

So Tony _had_ surprised him. It was a relief to know that the kid had felt safe enough to use the toilet.

Tony didn’t comment on the running water, just turning it off and switching off the lights in the bathroom before he settled down near the gap leading into the kid’s hiding place.

He tried to see the kid but it was too dark. All he could see was a vague silhouette moving backward quickly as Tony got comfortable. “Hey, kid,” he said. He held up the water bottle and shook it, taking a few sips again to show the kid that it was safe to drink before he closed the lid and rolled the bottle towards the hiding place. It missed the gap by a little, knocking against one of the boxes and stopping just outside of the little cave.

Tony was surprised when a hesitant hand reached for it and quickly snagged it into the dark.

Smiling, he leaned forward to place the apple and energy bars down next to the apple he’d left during his last visit and heard the kid shuffle back away from him.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said. He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands. It was a position he chose deliberately as it would make it hard for him to grab the kid if he would have wanted to.

The kid didn’t take the food.

Tony tilted his head. “Do you want to tell me your name?”

His question was met by silence as expected.

“That’s fine.” Heaving a sigh, he got to his feet, stretching a little while he turned to leave.

A clacking sound behind him made him stop and he turned back around slowly.

An empty water bottle rolled towards him.

Tony stopped it with his foot, keeping his eyes on the gap leading into the kid’s hiding place. “Thanks.” He picked up the bottle. “You should also eat something, you know.” He hesitated for a long moment, then he moved over to the kitchenette and rooted around the drawers to find a paring knife and a small plate before he returned to his former place and settled down with his legs crossed. He took one of the apples and started to cut it. The silence was unnerving, so he said, “I get it. Why you’re hiding.” He took a deep breath. “I was also captured once and ended up as a hostage, got hurt pretty badly. After it was over and I was back home, part of me wanted to hide as well.” He glanced towards the gap and thought he saw the kid move closer. “But I was lucky. Because I had people around me who cared and who wouldn’t let me.” He pressed his lips together. “Is there anyone that we can get to make you feel safer?”

There was no answer, but he heard movement.

“I can find anyone you want to see,” Tony said, smiling towards the kid. “You just have to give me their name.” He set the last of the apple slices down on the plate and pushed it closer to the kid. “If you think it’s drugged, you don’t need to be worried. If you want to make sure, though, you can pick a slice for me to eat. We can share. Just like the water.”

Tony could see the kid shifting closer and then backwards again, as if unsure what to do.

“You know who I am, right?” Tony asked. He nodded towards the suit standing silently off to the side, then stretched to grab a discarded faceplate from the workbench nearby. He placed it in front of his face. “I’m Iron Man. I help people.” He winced, ignoring the condescending voice in his head that told him that he used to, but not anymore, not after … he shook the thought off and tilted the faceplate to the side to smirk in the direction of the kid. “I wouldn’t poison an apple to get rid of anyone. Too subtle.”

He waited for a moment longer and was just about to give up when the kid leaned forward, leaving the safety of his hiding place far enough for Tony to see him properly. He looked pale, gaunt and tired, dark bags under his eyes and his hair a filthy, unruly mess. Blood had dried near his hairline and his face was still smudged with dirt, as was the blue shirt Tony recognized from the video footage of his rescue. The kid met his eyes for a brief second – he had brown eyes that were reddened by exhaustion or maybe tears – before he pointed at an apple slice and retreated back into the dark.

“This one?” Tony asked and popped the slice into his mouth, chewing slowly. “Now you.”

The plate was pulled into the kid’s hiding place.

“Good,” Tony said, nodding. He got up slowly. “We’ll get you some real food next.” With that, he turned away and left, dumping the knife in the sink as he did.

When he entered the communal kitchen, he was greeted by Sam, Nat and Rhodey crowded around a tablet and staring at him. He became aware that they had probably seen his exchange with the kid. Their surprised looks caused his cheeks to flush with heat and he shifted uncomfortably. “What?” he asked.

Sam shrugged and crossed his arms. “That was quite the accomplishment.”

“Thanks. I try to excel at everything.” His phone beeped and he pulled it from his jeans pocket, sighing deeply when he read the message. “Well, fun time is over,” he said. “Secretary Ross is here. And he wants to talk.”

* * *

Secretary Ross was waiting for Tony and Steve in one of the smaller meeting rooms in the main building of the Compound. A woman that Tony recognized as Kristin Wood was with him, her black hair pulled back into a strict bun. A tall, broad-shouldered man with short dark hair was also waiting. Tony didn’t know the man but thought that he had seen him around the Compound before. He had the authoritative presence of a leader, much like Secretary Ross himself, though his friendly smile made him more approachable.

Ross didn’t waste much time. As soon as Tony and Steve entered, he rose from his seat at the head of the table and gave them both a terse nod before he started introductions. “Tony Stark, Captain Rogers, this is Dave Nicholson. He is the head of the DODC operations at the Avengers Compound.”

“We haven’t met,” Nicholson said, shaking both Tony and Steve’s hands. “I wish it were under different circumstances.”

“Don’t we all?” Ross asked. Then he looked at Wood. “Captain Rogers, you already know Agent Kristin Wood, team lead in the Organized Crime Division of the DODC, usually stationed in New York.”

Steve nodded.

Tony shook her hand. “New York?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Doesn’t the local DODC branch have enough capable agents of their own?”

Her green eyes narrowed, her shoulders squaring as if ready for a confrontation. “I followed the case out here. The extraction was a result of my investigation conducted in New York. I don’t like handing my work off to someone else to finish.”

Ross hummed in agreement. “Agent Wood has been on this case for a while and she’s familiar with all the details. I wouldn’t want anybody else taking over.”

Wood shot him a look, something like annoyance flashing in her eyes, but she schooled her features quickly. Ross hadn’t noticed and was instead settling back down in his chair, pouring himself a cup of coffee while everyone else took a seat as well. Nicholson pulled the small plate with cookies closer, pondering his choice.

Ross cleared his throat, stirring creamer into his coffee as he casually said, “The kid is to be handed over to the DODC within the next three hours.”

Steve huffed a breath, but let Tony take the lead, who asked, “What’s your interest in him?”

Ross tilted his head to the side, looking confused.

“He’s just a kid,” Tony replied. “This is a disagreement between the DODC and the Avengers, nothing more than a spat between roommates, really. Why are _you_ , personally, interested?”

Wood looked at Ross, her eyebrows raised.

Ross set down his spoon and gave Tony his full attention. “He’s enhanced.”

“So?” Tony asked. “He’s an enhanced kid. All we do is find his family and take him home, get them to sign some NDAs if necessary. This isn’t the first time the DODC has handled enhanced victims of crime. You want to tell me you were personally looking into all of their cases?”

“I’m looking into the ones the Avengers interfere with,” Ross answered. “Will you hand the kid over or not?”

Steve leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. “Not under the conditions the DODC intends to keep him in.”

Wood scoffed. “You are blowing this out of proportion.”

“Really?” Steve asked. “Because as I understood, you intend to put him into a cell and chain him up.”

“We _intend_ to put him into a _supervised hospital room_ and we will _secure_ him to the bed in case he is a threat to our medical staff. There are no chains involved, no prison cell.”

“He’s traumatized,” Steve said angrily. “It doesn’t matter how cushy you make his cell, it’s still a cell.”

Nicholson tutted, shaking his head. “This is all just a matter of formality. We’re trying to take him off your hands. There’s no need for the Avengers to be involved in something as trivial as finding a lost kid’s family.”

Steve glared at him. “What are your intentions, exactly?”

Nicholson frowned at him in surprise. “What?”

“With the kid? What are your _intentions_?”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“He’s enhanced,” Steve said. “I doubt you would be as interested in handling something this _trivial_ if he wasn’t.”

Nicholson straightened, his dark eyes narrowing. “I don’t like your implication.”

“Am I wrong?”

Wood shook her head. “Captain, we understand that after what happened with SHIELD, you are probably wary of us, but there is no intention to harm the kid. We just want to hand him over to his family.”

Tony asked, “Have you found them?”

“We will start looking as soon as we have the kid in our care.”

“Save yourself the trouble,” Tony replied. “I looked. There’s no missing person record for him and at the moment, he doesn’t speak. He barely interacts.”

Steve nodded, adding, “He’s severely traumatized. And he found a safe space where he is right now and started to build a relationship with Tony. I don’t think it’s a good idea to remove him. It would only scar him further.”

Ross released an annoyed breath. “He doesn’t need to be awake for it.”

Tony felt anger flicker to life in him, unexpected and sudden. “Well, _we_ won’t drug him,” he snapped, “because the kid doesn’t trust food already. I certainly won’t go and teach him that he’s _right_ doing so.”

“I thought you would understand our position,” Ross said, staring at Tony.

“I do,” Tony said. “I understand your position and I understand that you want us to hand the kid over, but I feel like we’re not getting the full picture here.” He noticed Wood looking at Ross, who ignored her in favor of glaring at Tony. “I was going to hand the kid over,” he added. “But as Steve just said, he found a safe space in my workshop, he’s showing signs of improvement. He’s not violent, he’s just scared. Maybe we can work on getting him home _together_.”

There was a long, awkward pause during which Ross was stirring his coffee again, staring out the window.

Nicholson cleared his throat. “Sir?”

Tony watched Ross press his lips together. “He’s not speaking?” he finally asked.

“No,” Steve answered. “Right now, he isn’t.”

“Why?” Tony asked.

Ross released a breath. “Because that trafficking operation is bigger than you think and he’s the only person alive who has been on the inside and got out alive.”

Steve frowned. “So that’s what this is about? Intel?”

“Intel not intended for you,” Ross replied, glaring at him. “I couldn’t care less about the kid’s enhancements. He owes me answers.”

Wood’s eyes narrowed, her fists clenching on the table, but she didn’t say anything.

Steve was the one to reply, his eyes cold as he said, “He doesn’t owe you anything.”

Tony said, “But we will of course try to find out what he knows as soon as he seems stable enough to have that kind of conversation.”

“You won’t,” Ross replied, standing up. “ _We_ will.” He looked at Nicholson. “I expect regular reports.”

“Sir,” Nicholson said in confirmation.

Ross caught Wood’s eyes. “You will inform me the second he is ready.” Then he looked at Tony. “He can stay with you for the time being. Keep Agent Wood up to date about his progress.”

With that, he left.

Nicholson gave them an apologetic smile. “There is a lot of pressure involved in this issue.”

Steve was frowning deeply. “Pressure is the last thing the kid needs right now.”

Nicholson took a deep breath and nodded. “He also probably needs medical attention,” he said. “Do you think it’s possible for you to get a blood sample from him and maybe some scans?”

“The scans shouldn’t be an issue”, Tony said. “The blood sample might be. But we can try.”

Nicholson nodded and left.

Tony and Steve stood to leave as well when Agent Wood said, “Captain Rogers.”

They turned towards her.

Her face was earnest when she said, “Believe me when I tell you that all I want is to protect the kid.”

“I want to believe you,” Steve answered, “but you tasered a kid that was half out of his mind.”

“He could have seriously hurt someone, even killed an agent,” Wood answered. “Would you want that on his conscience?”

Steve ducked his head.

She added, “My agents could have pulled a gun on him, but they were under strict orders not to. Let that count for something.” She didn’t wait for an answer to her words, just nodded at them both and left.

Steve released a breath. “Thanks, Tony.”

“What for?”

“Changing your mind.”

Tony released a breath. “Well, now that we’ve got him holed up in the workshop, we might as well see it through to the end.”

“We?” Steve asked.

“I got him to eat something, remember?” Tony asked. “I’m clearly his favorite, I can’t just up and leave now.”

And somehow, he also didn’t _want_ to.

He wasn’t sure what it was that made him consider to stay. He could just as easily hand the kid off to Sam and be done with it. But … the moment the kid had taken the water and the apple, Tony had felt something that he hadn’t felt in quite a while, a weak echo of what it had been like to be Iron Man, to help, to be useful in a way that simply being Tony Stark had never enabled him to.

And maybe it was selfish … but he wanted to feel it again.


End file.
